Casa di produzione: Endgame Entertainment, Maguire Entertainment
Distribuzione (Italia): Eagle Pictures
Fotografia: David Tattersall
Montaggio: Jay Cassidy
Effetti speciali: Edward Joubert, Peter G. Minor
Musiche: J. Peter Robinson
Scenografia: J. Dennis Washington
Costumi: Caroline Eselin
Nicolas Cage: Will Gerard
January Jones: Laura Gerard
Guy Pearce: Simon
Xander Berkeley: tenente Durgan
Harold Perrineau Jr.: Jimmy
Jennifer Carpenter: Trudy
IronE Singleton: Scar
Joe Chrest: detective Rudeski
Jason Davis: Leon Walczak/Alan Marsh
Donna Duplantier: Gina
Mike Pniewski: Gibbs
David Jensen: benzinaio
In New Orleans, English teacher of the high school Rampart High, Will Gerard, and his wife, musician Laura Gerard, are in love with each other. One night, Laura leaves a rehearsal and is assaulted, while Will is playing chess with his friend Jimmy. Will is visiting her in hospital when, out of the blue, a stranger named Simon tells him that he belongs to an organization of vigilantes and offers to eliminate the assailant. In return, the organisation would want a favor from Will in the future. Will agrees, and the criminal is murdered. Six months later, Simon collects his debt with Will. He demands that Will kill Alan Marsh, a pedophile. Will accidentally kills Alan and soon he learns that the victim was an awarded journalist that was investigating the organization. Now he seeks evidences to prove his innocence but the network of the organization is powerful and is seeking Will out to eliminate him.
Un tranquillo professore di lettere inglesi vede il suo mondo crollare quando la moglie è picchiata e violentata. La rabbia e il senso di impotenza sono tali che quando nella sala d'attesa dell'ospedale è avvicinato da un uomo che si propone di fare "giustizia" al posto suo e della polizia in cambio di futuri favori, il professore accetta. La giustizia dell'occhio per occhio sarà effettivamente fatta ma il prezzo da pagare sarà l'ingresso forzato in un'associazione dedita al vigilantismo che non ammette fuoriuscite o dinieghi.